{"id":1789921,"date":"2026-02-24T10:30:20","date_gmt":"2026-02-24T07:30:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1789921"},"modified":"2026-02-24T10:30:20","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T07:30:20","slug":"serena-williams-ex-coach-predicts-whether-jessica-pegula-can-win-a-grand-slam-title","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1789921","title":{"rendered":"Serena Williams&#8217; ex-coach predicts whether Jessica Pegula can win a Grand Slam title"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"ps-article-content rounded-lg lg:mt-5 lg:border lg:border-card lg:bg-card lg:shadow-primary\">\n<header>\n<h1 class=\"py-4 text-xl font-normal text-title sm:text-2xl\">Serena Williams\u2019 ex-coach predicts whether Jessica Pegula can win a Grand Slam title<\/h1>\n<div class=\"my-2 flex items-center justify-between\">\n<div class=\"flex items-center\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/author\/oli-dickson-jefford\" class=\"text-sm font-normal !text-author\"><br \/>\n                            Oli Dickson Jefford                        <\/a><br \/>\n                        <time class=\"ml-3 text-sm font-normal text-info md:ml-4\" datetime=\"24 Feb 2026 10:30 AM\" data-ps-date=\"24 Feb 2026 10:30 AM\" data-ps-datetime=\"1771929020\"><br \/>\n                            24 Feb 2026 10:30 AM                        <\/time>\n                    <\/div>\n<div class=\"hidden justify-end space-x-4 text-xl sm:flex sm:!opacity-100\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/rick-macci-predicts-whether-jessica-pegula-can-win-grand-slam-title\" class=\"!text-info hover:!text-brand\" aria-label=\"Share to facebook\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/a><br \/>\n                        <a 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href=\"https:\/\/share.flipboard.com\/bookmarklet\/popout?v=2&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tennis365.com%2Ftennis-news%2Frick-macci-predicts-whether-jessica-pegula-can-win-grand-slam-title\" aria-label=\"Share to flipboard\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/a>\n                    <\/div>\n<div class=\"sm:hidden flex items-center space-x-5\">\n                        <a class=\"!text-share-icon hover:!text-share-icon-active flex items-center justify-center\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/google.com\/preferences\/source?q=tennis365.com\" aria-label=\"Follow Tennis365 on Google Search\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/a><br \/>\n                        <button id=\"t365-article-share-btn\" class=\"mr-2 hidden h-6 w-6 appearance-none border-none !text-share-icon outline-none hover:!text-share-icon-active sm:hidden\" data-title=\"Serena Williams\u2019 ex-coach predicts whether Jessica Pegula can win a Grand Slam title\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/button>\n                    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"-mx-3 sm:-mx-5 border-b border-page\"><\/div>\n<section>\n<div class=\"-mx-3 sm:-mx-5\">\n<figure class=\"aspect-h-9 aspect-w-16 relative\">\n                                        <img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1320\" height=\"742\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"w-full h-full object-cover object-center !my-0\" src=\"https:\/\/d2me2qg8dfiw8u.cloudfront.net\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Jessica-Pegula-Rick-Macci-1320x742.jpg\" alt=\"Pictured: Jessica Pegula and Rick Macci.\">                <\/figure><figcaption class=\"flex items-center space-x-3 border-b border-mobile-caption px-3 lg:border-caption\">\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-1.5 break-words !text-xs !text-content\">\n                                Jessica Pegula and Rick Macci.                            <\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<div class=\"ciam-article-t365\">\n<p>Acclaimed tennis coach Rick Macci has backed Jessica Pegula for Grand Slam success, following her triumph at the Dubai Tennis Championships this weekend.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/jessica-pegula-updated-ranking-points-prize-money-dubai-tennis-championships\">World No 5 Pegula defeated Elina Svitolina 6-2, 6-4 to lift the title in Dubai<\/a>, claiming her milestone 10th WTA Tour singles title and her fourth singles title at WTA 1000-level.<\/p>\n<p>The American has long been recognised as one of the most consistent players of her era, and has now reached the semi-final of her last seven WTA Tour tournaments.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/jessica-pegula\">Pegula<\/a> has been a mainstay inside the top 10 since 2022 and reached her career-high of world No 3 in the WTA Rankings that season, though she has not yet won a Grand Slam singles title.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/news\/jessica-pegula-annoyed-losing-us-open-final\">Her sole major singles final came at the US Open in 2024, falling to Aryna Sabalenka in a competitive championship match<\/a>, while she was beaten by the Belarusian in three sets at the semi-final stage in New York in 2025.<\/p>\n<p>Pegula was also a semi-finalist at the Australian Open this January,<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/australian-open\/elina-svitolina-jessica-pegula-australian-open-prize-money-ranking-points-revealed\"> losing to eventual champion Elena Rybakina<\/a>, while she is a former French Open and Wimbledon quarter-finalist.<\/p>\n<p>Having reached the semi-final of the last two Grand Slam tournaments, the American \u2014 who celebrates her 32nd birthday on Tuesday \u2014 will likely be considered a threat for the remaining three majors of 2026, especially after her start to the year.<\/p>\n<p>And the world No 5 has now been backed for Slam success by legendary coach <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/rick-macci\">Macci<\/a>, who worked with the likes of Serena and Venus Williams, Maria Sharapova, and Jennifer Capriati.<\/p>\n<h2>Tennis News<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/news\/emma-raducanu-huge-sponsorship-change-set-confirmed-brand-teases-announcement\">Emma Raducanu\u2019s huge sponsorship change set to be confirmed as brand teases announcement<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/wta-rankings-iga-swiatek-no-2-jessica-pegula-coco-gauff-heels-alex-eala-paula-badosa-15\">WTA Rankings: Swiatek holds onto No 2, Pegula on Gauff\u2019s heels, Eala +16, Badosa -15<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Posting on Twitter\/X, Macci claimed that Pegula was \u201c100%\u201d capable of lifting a major title.<\/p>\n<p>He wrote: \u201cCan Pegula win a slam. 100%. She can beat anybody anytime anywhere.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe hits a clean lasers off either side and can turn the tide. But mentally she is calm cool and collected under the sun or moon and will collect a Major real soon.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In a further post on the social media site, he hailed the world No 5 a \u201crole model\u201d due to her work ethic.<\/p>\n<p>Macci posted: \u201cJessica Pegula loves the competition and is all about the competition. Great work ethic Great attitude still improving at age 32. Unreal role model for a Billion Reasons for every junior with wealthy parents.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Pegula is currently set for a quick return to action after her Dubai Tennis Championships triumph, with the American still set to defend her WTA 250 Austin Open title as things stand.<\/p>\n<p>She is the top seed at the event, and is currently set to face Rebecca Sramkova in round one.<\/p>\n<p>Pegula is then set to compete at the back-to-back \u2018Sunshine Double\u2019 WTA 1000 events in Indian Wells and Miami, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/news\/watch-jessica-pegula-nicks-aryna-sabalenkas-margarita\">having reached the final at the latter event back in 2025<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Want more from Tennis365? Add us as <a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=tennis365.com\" target=\"_blank\">a preferred source on Google to your favourites list<\/a> for tennis coverage you can trust.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Read Next<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-features\/wta-rankings-when-could-jessica-pegula-overtake-coco-gauff-american-no-1\">WTA Rankings: When could Jessica Pegula overtake Coco Gauff in battle to be American No 1<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Serena Williams\u2019 ex-coach predicts whether Jessica Pegula can win a Grand Slam title Oli Dickson Jefford 24 Feb 2026 10:30 AM Jessica Pegula and Rick Macci. Acclaimed tennis coach Rick Macci has backed Jessica Pegula for Grand Slam success, following her triumph at the Dubai Tennis Championships this weekend. World No 5 Pegula defeated Elina [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,249],"class_list":["post-1789921","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-tennis365-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1789921","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1789921"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1789921\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1789921"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1789921"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1789921"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}